You know..

.... when you leave home and forget to do something important and a little panic sets in- well it's always good to have a mate on hand to go check everything is in order.

When we left the boat I had forgotten  to tie down the boarding ladder/plank this is a lightweight aluminium jobby that would surely take off if a winter storm was coming in from an unfavourable position. Thanks Ray & Diane for securing it.

While in Spain I'm not neglecting FL, this week I have booked the slip at Stafford boat club for May to redo the blacking I last did in stone two years ago.

We seem drawn to spending time around harbours and boats.

We have now moved to accommodation that doesn't involve hiking up the side of a hill to get home. It's in a great location only 100 meters from the sea, its for sale. If we had the means we would definitely consider it.

Clouds building ...

It has been fairly cool in Mojacar for the last few days, even bouts of precipitation  ( I blame Martin for this). I tried to persevere with shorts but succumbed to goose bump lower legs, jeans are back in place & an occasional woolly.

Villaricos

Villaricos harbour

Just for balance a photo of rain on a cool 16C day

Next week are moving on from this apartment, it's a great apartment and has fantastic views being so elevated, but Sue's knees can't take the hike which meant we have used the car most days just to get up and down the hill.

Sun rise

I do like to have my first cup of tea watching the ball of fire rise out of the sea.

It's not all sun & fun in Spain

Sunrise

The Med gets choppy for a few days

Had a great day out with Canadian friends Wendy & Barry, they took us up into the Sierra de los Filabres to the white washed village of Bedar. 

The parish church Iglesia Santa de la Cabeza

After Bedar we continued over the mountain, our guides knew of a good lunch stop at El Machal.

When we arrived it was closed down, we learnt from the English owners that although the enterprise had been successful and had been embraced by all the Spanish locals in the small village, one Spaniard had been a problem with regular threats to the owners and vandalism to the property.

Their appeals to the local police fell on deaf ears, the last straw was when the Spaniard slashed Wayne four times with a knife, still the police refused to get involved, eventually the villagers afraid of this one individual turned there backs on the bar and it's owners.

It was very sad listening to the stressed out couple who said they would never try to open an enterprise or live in a Spanish only village again.... I suppose living in BritSpain has advantages.

We headed back to the coast stopping at La Montana restaurant near Bedar for a drink from the bar before moving on to Puerto Madero our new favourite tapas bar.

Chorizo

Chicken 

Fishing fleet....

arriving back to port

⚓

Poppy's

Trump ?.......

Lads meat feast night at Al Punto.

An evening at Ankara beach bar.

Garrucha 

Another cargo ship being loaded with gypsum from the mines at Sorbas

Heading for the fish market at Garrucha

Another day dawns.

..... was there something going on in the USA today.

Mojacar

Arrived in Mojacar two days earlier than we initially planned, we took our buddy Paul's offer of a bed & dinner at his villa until our apartment was ready today.

We had a Chinese meal out the first night & Paul cooked his signature dish - authentic Spagbol without celery - last night, delicious it was too.

We were disappointed that the accommodation we had booked earlier this year had become unavailable but we are more than happy with this alternative apartment.

This evening I'm am going out with the lads for a nosh up at Al Punto and the watch the Arsenal in the Pub next door. Sue will be catching up on Spanish TV programs.